Netflix F1 Drive to Survive star quits his role in potentially major blow to the docuseries

F1 presenter Will Buxton has announced that he has left his role with F1TV and will join the IndyCar series immediately from the 2025 season. The Brit has been a mainstay in the paddock and has become popular in the sport due to his appearances in Netflix's docuseries "Drive to Survive".

The 43-year-old was one of the show's breakout stars, which premiered in 2019, and helped it become a household name. Buxton went viral on social media for his simple explanations of the sport in the docuseries which the internet found meme-worthy.

Following his popularity, Buxton established a solid base online as he has around 316,000 followers on Instagram. The journalist also became popular due to several appearances on F1-related podcasts and wrote multiple books related to the sport. In the paddock apart from his presenting duties, Buxton rubbed shoulders with celebrities from all walks of life such as interacting with Brad Pitt and interviewing multiple athletes and musicians on the grid.

On his Instagram handle on January 14, Will Buxton told the fans about his departure to join FOX, which replaced NBC and now holds the broadcasting rights of IndyCar. Following this exclusive deal with FOX, there are doubts about Buxton's involvement in the upcoming "Drive to Survive" seasons.

Announcing his decision, Buxton wrote:

"I have always loved Indycar, always been enthralled by the excitement of its racing and stunned by the skills of its incredible drivers. And while I always hoped that one day I might, I never imagined that I ever actually would have the opportunity to join the series full time."

"That I will get to do so in the role and with the responsibility that I do in 2025 is a tremendous honor. And while I am unbelievably excited, I am only too aware of the enormity of the task I am undertaking, and the trust placed in me."

The former F1 pundit would be joined by James Hinchcliffe, former IndyCar driver and ex-F1TV presenter, alongside IMSA driver Townsend Bell.

---

Will Buxton pays tribute to F1TV after his departure

Will Buxton thanked F1TV for his time with it. Buxton joined the Formula 1 streaming platform in 2017 when Liberty Media took over the sport's commercial rights.

In the aforementioned Instagram post, the British presenter also provided an update on his first race with IndyCar in 2025:

"I want to take the opportunity to thank everyone at F1TV for seven incredibly happy years. I’m so proud of all we created and all we built and I’m excited to watch 2025 shake out, admittedly, for now at least, from my couch. My year and my racing season will begin in St Pete."

In recent years, Buxton had been stepping away from presenting duties with the program as evident with his appearances in the 2024 season. The docuseries produced by Box-to-Box Films has already aired six seasons and 60 episodes till now.

The show's seventh season will air on March 7, 2025. It will feature the best stories from the eventful 2024 season but whether the show will be renewed for the 2025 and 2026 seasons is yet to be confirmed.